The life organic
Whatever you usually associate with organic eating, you will find none of it at Eden. There are no lentil-munching, wheatgrass-sipping yogi diners to be seen; just polished, chemical-free dishes, simply presented and generously portioned.
Hold on. These are exactly the same descriptions we used when we were writing a review for Beo, back in May 2008. That’s because when we walked in here, we thought we were in Beo. Case in point, the décor is exactly the same with the addition of a leafy wall mural; the manager is exactly the same guy; and the menu is, again, the same. It seems only the name and owner has changed.
We started with the generous salad bar. OK, we should rephrase that, the salad table. It was loaded with delicious-looking vegetarian options such as pumpkin with lentils, baby corn with tofu, roast carrot and beetroot, fusilli pasta with pesto, mixed mushrooms and a great big pot of tomato soup. At $98 for lunch, this is a great vegetarian alternative to The Fringe Club’s veggie lunch buffet down the hill.
We loaded our plates with healthy salads and pastas, enjoying the variety and the look of the appetising layout. The broccoli and cauliflower plate had a good crunch and all the veggies were cooked on the right side of raw. The dressings were light and varied; the tri-colour pasta was tasty and overdressed in fresh pesto (in a good way).
Our main dish - the vegetarian trio - consisted of a beautifully plated warm vegetable quinoa salad, lemon eggplant with roasted veggies and grapefruit-infused lentils. Oh, and a side salad of grilled fennel ($160). The threesome was stacked just like it used to be at Beo, that is, individually in three even towers on an elongated plate. Each tower had its own interesting flavours: the lentils were citrusy-sweet; the eggplant was smoky and very creamy; the quinoa salad was topped by an inch of sautéed garlic, which rather overwhelmed the grain-like protein below. But mix the three together along with the grilled fennel, we would not.
The food is healthy and so is the luscious green scenery beyond the large picture window in the main dining room. The Victorian chairs look like they’ve been reupholstered, but they are still the same comfy chairs of old. If you liked Beo, you will most certainly like this place.
Michael Ong
16 Arbuthnot Rd, Central, 2868 0625. Mon-Sat noon-11pm. Meal for two: around $600